


The Vacancy

by Tzalmavet



Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Gen, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-28 00:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13259478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tzalmavet/pseuds/Tzalmavet
Summary: The Batter is forced to take shelter with Zacharie when a powerful rainstorm covers zone 1.





	The Vacancy

It was raining in zone 1.  Of course, it was _always_ raining there, but it was raining especially hard on a particular night that the Batter was passing through.  No one was about in the streets, and all the mines had been vacated for fear of flooding.  Every man had holed himself up in his quarters, safe and dry from the torrential downpour going on outside.

Zacharie eventually could no longer tolerate seeing the Batter standing there beside a save block, exposed to the freezing wind and rain, and dragged him into a house.  It wasn't a fancy house, just a tiny property of his that he inhabited whenever he brought his wares to zone 1.  The Batter was quickly relieved of his drenched uniform and wrapped in a warm towel to dry off with; he thanked Zacharie, but said very little else.

Unfortunately, Zacharie only had one bed in the house, and, having been forced out of the mines during the flooding evacuation, had left behind his sleeping bag.  The Batter said he was fine with resting on the floor until morning, and Zacharie tucked himself in.  He had very nearly fallen asleep, when a loud thunderclap shattered the peaceful droning of the rain.

The Batter's head shot up, silhouetted in front of the window.  Zacharie watched him.  The Batter stared outside, silent.  More thunder could be heard in the distance, and occasional flashes of purple lightning could be seen through the plastic panes.  After about a minute, his head went back down.

 _Weird_ , Zacharie thought.  For some reason, he thought the Batter would be out like a light.  But another particularly loud crack, and his head was up again.  Zacharie watched him for a while.  The Batter would lie down on the towel he'd been given, only to jerk up in response to the noise outside.  Sometimes just his head, sometimes propping himself up with an arm, but always squirming a bit between the sounds.  It was interesting, sure, but now it was keeping Zacharie awake.

"Amigo..." he whispered.  The Batter turned around.  "If you can't get comfortable, you can always climb into bed with me."

With almost no hesitation, the Batter gathered up his towel and stood.  He lifted Zacharie's blanket and awkwardly crawled over him, forcing him to the side as he nestled in.  The towel was damp, but Zacharie didn't feel up to whining about it.  In fact, he nearly laughed at how quickly the Batter had taken up his offer.

"Afraid of a little thunder, Batter?" he smiled, straightening the covers.

"No," the Batter said, "I don't sleep often."

"Ah. Perhaps you should try getting used to it, sometime."

The Batter sighed.  It was a little chilly from when the Batter had lifted the blanket, but warmth was quickly pooling under it again.

Then there was another thunderclap.

At once, one of the Batter's hands stretched over and pushed down on the mattress in front of Zacharie, and he pushed himself up to stare out the window.  Zacharie groaned.  "Stop that," he said, reaching up and patting at the Batter's cheek.  "I need to sleep, too."  Reluctantly, the Batter sank back down into the sheets.

But the Batter's restlessness didn't stop there.  When another loud thunderclap came, he twitched _quite_ noticeably.  More, and he'd squirm and adjust the positions of his limbs.  Zacharie could hear his heart beating through the pillow-- loud and alert, like he wasn't tired at all.  His chilly fingers were bunched up in Zacharie's nightshirt, his chin was firmly pressed against the top of his head, and his ice-cold toes kept digging into his legs.

Zacharie was a _little less than comfortable,_ to put it politely.  With effort, Zacharie twisted and turned to face the side of the bed that the Batter was on.  In the faint light coming in through the window, he could see the Batter's face; his eyes were wide open, not even noticing Zacharie, glaring at the sky like it owed him money, lips turned into an impatient frown.

 _Ugh._   Zacharie was too sleepy to get properly angry with him or try to deduce what was bothering him out there.  He gripped the Batter's shoulders and pulled him sharply under the covers, wrapping his arms tight around him.

"Hold still, already," he mumbled.  A long, low, rumbling noise came from outside, and the Batter made a quiet hissing sound.  Zacharie shushed him, trying not to squeeze him too hard.  The Batter's arms reached to wrap around Zacharie's midsection, not really able to do much besides cling to him.  He shivered a little, but didn't attempt to squirm out of the hold.

Gradually, the Batter's shudders grew more infrequent, even as the storm showed no signs of letting up.  His breathing slowed, and his body relaxed as he finally drifted off to sleep.  _Finally._   Zacharie was relieved.  He hadn't thought that this evening would wind up with the Batter curled up asleep beside him, face resting against his chest, but he was too tired to care.  Things peaceful at last, Zacharie closed his eyes and quickly followed the Batter into unconsciousness.


End file.
